


I just might tell you tonight

by darcy81



Series: Theatre of Dreams [2]
Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-21
Updated: 2019-10-21
Packaged: 2020-12-27 22:28:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21126278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darcy81/pseuds/darcy81
Summary: A prequel to Theatre of Dreams-a six months look into how Waverly Earp and Nicole Haught fell in love without really knowing it





	I just might tell you tonight

**Author's Note:**

> You might hate this... but I don’t-I love it...

Nicole was sitting in her dressing room reading the paper when she heard Jeremy Chetri call the company onto stage to start their warm up. She had been playing the role of Emma in a play called ‘People Places and Things’ for just under two months and had started to get into a routine now that previews were over and Press night had happened. She left her dressing room and made the short journey to the stage, heading down the wings and passed prompt corner so she could say hello to the man that had just called them

“Evening Jeremy” Nicole said warmly “how was your day?”

Jeremy turned in his seat and smiled at the actor “Hey Nicole... it was good thanks-I feel like I’m still catching up on life things though now we’re up and running” the show caller replied “I actually read a book outside in the park this afternoon before coming in”

Nicole nodded her head in recognition “I know... it’s been a killer getting this one up hey?” 

“You have no idea” Jeremy responded with a grin. Jeremy, along with the rest of the stage management team, has been with the show since rehearsals started three months ago. Nicole hadn’t done a play in a long time, and certainly not one that was so emotionally demanding-and she had appreciated the serenity the Deputy Stage Manager had brought to the room. He was meticulously organised, well liked and knew almost as much as the director on how the show was going to work. 

Nicole squeezed his shoulder and walked out onto the the stage, smiling at a couple of co stars as she did so. Xavier Dolls-their Company Manager-was standing at the front of the stage waiting for everyone to arrive. It was usual that before the show, he passed on any notes or information concerning the company. This usually amounted to very little, but occasionally the producers had some guests in-and that would often result in a full cast photo after the curtain had come down. Dolls was essentially their leader and it was a role he excelled at. He managed the entire company and often fixed problems before anyone realised there was an issue. He could read the room brilliantly, and acted as the go-between for the company and the producers. He’d had a hell of a job managing all the press requests for Nicole whilst she was rehearsing, and was capable of saying no to these interviews when necessary-all without having to involve Nicole’s own team-something the actor was extremely grateful for.

“Evening guys...” Dolls began-ensuring there was quiet before he continued “couple of notes for you all... first off, Pamela has had to leave us unexpectedly-she’s fine, but her dad is unwell and she’s had to make the decision to go and look after him for a while”

“Oh gosh, that’s sad” an older actor called Jennifer said “can we do anything?”

“How about flowers? Can we send some flowers?” Rosita Bustillos-another cast member-asked

“I’ll start a collection” Dolls replied “I’ll come round later if that’s okay with everyone?”

There was a general murmuring of approval before Dolls continued “that of course means we’re a dresser down... Ah just in time...” 

Dolls turned towards the wings and nodded a welcome to Chrissy Nedley, the head of Wardrobe, as she made her way onto stage-accompanied by a brunette that had the most dazzling smile Nicole had ever seen

“Hi guys, just a quick one-this is Waverly, she’s stepping in to Pam’s shoes-she’ll shadow me tonight, and tomorrow matinee before taking over the track tomorrow night for the the rest of the run... she’s my flat mate-so be nice... Nicole, we’ll come round after warm up to talk about logistics if that’s okay?”

The redhead smiled, nodding in agreement and then turned back to Dolls, who continued giving notes to the cast. Nicole had seen the brunette standing with Chrissy the day before and hadn’t wanted to admit what an affect the woman had had on her. She had caught sight of the smaller woman when Nicole had walked past her and Chrissy at stage door, and the actor would be lying if she said her interest hadn’t been piqued. 

Nicole and her wife Shae had been separated for 4 months-however, if they were being honest with themselves, their marriage had been over for a lot longer. But due to the fact Nicole was in the show and Shae was filming in LA, they had decided to keep it quiet for the moment so as not to disrupt their lives too much. Nicole hasn’t even thought about moving on, but looking at the brunette in front of her, there was a familiar stirring within the redhead that she hadn’t felt for a while.

Deciding to park those thoughts there and not look into them too closely, Nicole partook in the company warm up and then retreated back to her dressing room to meet the woman called Waverly that would be dressing her for the foreseeable future.

Chrissy Nedley was waiting outside her dressing room when she walked into the backstage corridor. She had been Wardrobe Mistress for the duration of the run and had been a brilliant asset to the company. Her team were always on it and when trying to figure out an incredibly quick change Nicole had to do on stage-Chrissy, and her expertise, had been a God send

“Nicole, I’m so sorry I couldn’t let you know before parish notices” the brunette said apologetically 

“Oh god, don’t worry about it Chris-I’m guessing you’ve had quite a day?” Nicole replied with a smile “come on in” 

The three women walked in to the number one dressing room-so called because it was closest to the stage and not because it was the best 

“Waverly has been briefed and will watch me tonight” Chrissy explained again “it’s not a busy track, but obviously the quick change on stage is the one to get right...” Chrissy began immediately

“Yeah, I think maybe it’s an idea to run it tomorrow before the evening show with tech support if we can” Nicole agreed “What do you think?”

“I think it’s a good idea-I’ll talk to Dolls and see if the team wouldn’t mind” The wardrobe mistress followed up “do you think that would help Waves?” 

Both women turned to look at the smaller woman who smiled at them both and shrugged “I mean... it wouldn’t hurt would it”

Nicole found herself smiling at the relaxed ambiance of the brunette

“Okay, great, I’ll set it up-Nicole, we’ll leave you to it-I’ve gone through your schedule with Waverly and we won’t disturb you now until the half” Chrissy said as the two women made their way to the door

“You can disturb me....” Nicole said quickly as she watched the pair retreat. The smaller woman stopped in the doorway and turned back towards the actor “if... if you need to I mean... Waverly, you can disturb me”

The brunette tilted her head slightly with a hint of a smile as she looked the taller woman in the eye

“I’ll bear that in mind...” she replied after a moment

They both held their gaze for a couple more beats before Chrissy reappeared and asked Waverly to join her. Nicole watched the smaller woman turn her back and leave, closing the door softly behind her

Well shit... 

***

Waverly stood in the wings listening to Nicole deliver her lines perfectly. She had seen the show twice from the stalls-once on press night, when Waverly and Michael-Chrissy’s boyfriend-went as the guests of the Wardrobe Mistress, and once the day before, when Chrissy had phoned her in a panic and asked her to step in for the previous dresser. Nicole had been as brilliant then as she had the first time round, and Waverly was a little in awe with how the woman managed to do it night after night. 

The redhead was playing an actor whose career is thrown off course by a drug addiction-it starts with the character, Emma, playing the role of Nina in Chekhov’s ‘The Seagull’ whilst clearly high. The audience watch as Emma spirals our of control on stage and starts the beginnings of a breakdown. 

And this is where Waverly came in. As ‘Emma’ starts shouting incoherently towards the back of the stage, thumping bass music kicks in, the lights change and a club is brought to life. The audience watches in rapture as the stage transforms from 19th century Chekhov, into a thumping club-finishing up as the reception of a rehab centre-all in the space of roughly 90 seconds. In order to keep the audiences eyes everywhere at once, a mix of cast and crew run onto stage. Various stages of Emma’s night play out-with women dancing, men drinking, a guy clearly dealing, all whilst the stage crew strike the furniture and set new pieces in its place. Waverly’s job was to run onto stage and help Nicole change out of her ‘19th century’ costume-complete with billowing skirt and corset into her ‘rehab’ costume-consisting of a black baggy t-shirt, black leggings and a long grey cardigan. As well as this, Nicole has to remove her wig-something the wigs mistress Carrie helps her with. Whilst Nicole wore the leggings and t-shirt under her ‘Nina’ costume, it was still a tight turn around, so Chrissy had sewn magnets into the back of the corset and skirt so they were easy to remove-and the staging was such that whilst the audience watch the transformation in front of them, their eyes are so busy taking it all in, they forget to watch Nicole at all-allowing the change to happen before their eyes without them ever really seeing it. It had been a remarkable thing to watch both times Waverly had seen it, and as she waited to run onto stage and make the change-her adrenaline was running wild. 

Nicole started the spiral, the music kicked in and Waverly took her cue. She ran onto stage and stood in front of Nicole as the actor turned upstage to face the back wall. The redhead lifted her arms and started to move them to the rhythm as Waverly pulled open the magnets and removed first the corset and then the skirt. As soon as they were off, Nicole spun back round and grabbed the grey cardigan flung over Waverly’s shoulder, putting it on quickly as her wig was removed. Nicole watched as Waverly surveyed her handiwork, and then handed her a prop cell phone. As their last few moments together came upon them, Waverly grabbed the clothes at Nicole’s feet and danced off the stage. Nicole moved over to the newly placed reception desk and the lights snapped on-cutting the music off and revealing Nicole fully changed and irritated at the ‘front desk’, gurning as she shouted expletives down a mobile phone 

Nicole continued the one way conversation for a moment, before Dolls suddenly shouted a ‘thank you’ from the stalls. Nicole instantly broke character, smiling at Rosita standing at the other side of the desk

“How was that?” Dolls asked as he made his way onto stage towards the cast

“Great” Nicole replied with a smile “was that alright for you Waverly?”

“Yeah fine” Waverly shouted from the wings, appearing onstage just as she finished her sentence 

“Do you want to run through it again?” Dolls asked both women, who were now standing next to each other

Waverly looked up at Nicole, who was looking down at her and shrugged “I’m happy if you’re happy?” 

“Yeah, I think that worked well... thanks Dolls” Nicole replied. Waverly went back into the wings and gathered the costume, heading straight to Nicole’s dressing room to hang it up. She knocked and waited for Nicole to shout an acknowledgement before heading in, catching the redheads eye in the mirror as she made her way to the rail at the opposite side of the room

“How are you feeling?” Nicole asked 

Waverly turned round and looked at the actor through the mirror once more 

“Okay I think... I’ll be glad to get this first one over and done with...” she replied with a slight edge to her voice and a nervous laugh

“We’ll be fine... I promise you it’s a lot longer than it feels at first” Nicole said reassuringly “you don’t strike me as a nervous person”

“Don’t I? Well then I’m a better actor than I thought” Waverly retorted with a smile. “Do you still get nervous?” She asked 

“God yeah... I’m a wreck... if I’m not nervous then I shouldn’t be doing it” the actor replied easily 

“Chrissy said you’re a film star... which do you prefer?” Waverly asked

“You didn’t know I was a film star?” Nicole said with a raised eyebrow

“Well, I mean, yeah, I know you’re in films and stuff-but I’ve never seen you on stage before... just figured this was new for you...” Waverly blustered

“I have done stage work, but not in a while... I like it a lot though-it’s a high I can’t quite describe...” 

“Careful, you sound a lot like Emma” Waverly joked-referring to Nicole’s drug addicted character 

Nicole smiled at the brunette and nodded “I suppose I do a bit...” 

Waverly was about to continue their conversation when Nicole’s phone rang and interrupted them, the actor smiled apologetically and sighed when she saw the number displayed 

“Sorry Waverly, I have to get this”

“Not at all Nicole, I’ll be back at the quarter” Waverly replied with a breezy smile-meaning she would be back quarter of an hour before the cast are called to stage to start the show. They were all there 5 minutes before ‘curtain up’, ready to begin as soon as the last of the audience had taken their seats. 

Waverly headed up to the green room on the middle floor and smiled when she saw Jennifer sitting on one of the sofas doing a jigsaw puzzle of what looked like the Taj Mahal

“How are you getting on?” Waverly asked as she made her way to the sink to fill the kettle 

“It’s the sky I always find so difficult” the older woman replied without looking up

“Do you want tea?” Waverly asked as she placed a peppermint tea bag into a cup

“No thank you darling, can’t drink anything after half past six when I’m doing a show”

“What... ever?”

“Nope... not since 1996 when I gave my Ophelia and was almost caught short during act three scene two-if it hadn’t been for my will of iron, poor Dickie Floorton would have had no-one to tease” Jennifer replied in a way that had Waverly confused, but almost certain she shouldn’t ask for further details. 

She poured the hot water over her herbal tea bag and sat down next to Jennifer, looking to see if she could make a dent in the sky. They chatted happily for fifteen minutes and were only disturbed when Nicole came into the kitchen to fill up her water bottle. The redhead was still on the phone and was clearly exasperated with whomever was on the other end. She smiled at the two women and mouthed a word that looked like ‘tray’ to the older actor before sighing heavily and saying something about a car

“I don’t know how she does it” Jennifer said once Nicole had left the green room

“Does what?” Waverly asked curiously

“Darling, one thing you’ll learn very quickly about Nicole Haught is quite how much she gives of herself to other people... she needs more people on her side and less people taking advantage of her” Jennifer replied as she patted Waverly’s hand. The older woman then shot up from her chair and grabbed her glasses from the table “Christ on a cracker it’s quarter to... I should be in wigs” she declared. 

As she scurried off to the wigs room one flight up, Jeremy’s voice came over the tannoy asking ‘Ms Jones to the wigs room immediately’ in an exasperated tone-to which Waverly heard Jennifer shout an answer back to no one in particular as she disappeared down the corridor and up the stairs. 

Waverly sat back for a moment, sipping her tea and digesting all Jennifer had said. She didn’t know Nicole Haught, but there was something about her that Waverly liked. She was undeniably beautiful, but that wasn’t what Waverly was most drawn to. She had no idea who she was, but talent was an attractive quality-and Nicole Haught was one of the most talented women Waverly had even seen on stage. She had a truth and a quality to her that you couldn’t help but watch and she was as enigmatic off stage as she was on-Waverly had spent little time with the woman so far, but couldn’t help but feel seen by her-and in truth, Waverly wasn’t sure if that was a good thing, or a very, very bad thing

***

“Hey Karen” Waverly said as soon as the dressing room door opened and Nicole’s assistant and her little boy entered

“We were out shopping and it started to rain, so I thought we’d dive in here and dry off for a bit” Karen replied with a smile, looking down at her son, Tommy

The bathroom door opened and Nicole appeared, freshly showered and dressed in sweats and a oversized t shirt with Jimi Hendrix’s face on it

“Hey” Nicole beamed as soon as she saw her visitors “This is a nice surprise” 

Karen sat down on the sofa and smiled as the little boy ran over to the redhead and threw himself at her legs 

“Hey buddy” Nicole beamed as she leant down and picked the little boy up “have you been shopping?” 

Waverly smiled as she listened to the interaction whilst hanging up Nicole’s costumes from the matinee they had just done

“We went to the cutest little antiques market on West 46th...” Karen said with a smile

“Oh the pop up place? Chrissy and I went there yesterday” Waverly replied as she scooped up the black t shirt Nicole had thrown on the back of her chair

“Oh it’s wonderful isn’t it” Karen answered, turning to look at the brunette 

“It is-a little out of my price range though... I saw a pair of dropped pearl earrings there that I think I would actually sell a kidney for” Waverly joked 

“So its a pop up jewellery store?” Nicole asked in between tickling the little boy lying at her feet giggling

“Sort of... they have taken over that old arcade for a month-there’s a jewellery shop, but also a vintage clothes store and a place to get furniture... it’s really great” Waverly continued as she watched Nicole and the little boy with a smile “how old is he Karen?”

“Two... my partner Craig is doing some DIY so I dragged this little monster shopping” 

“Don’t you listen to your mamma” Nicole said in an accusatory tone “you’re perfect you are” 

“I’ll leave you to it-Nicole, don’t forget you have that chicken in the fridge” Waverly said by way of a goodbye

The door closed and for a second, the only thing in the room was the sound of Tommy giggling as Nicole continued to tickle him

“Have I told you how much I like Waverly” Karen asked with a smile

“Erm... i don’t think you have-but I agree, she’s great”

“She doesn’t seem affected by who you are at all” Karen mused

“To be honest, I’m not entirely convinced she actually KNOWS who I am... she’s studying History and ancient languages... Before last month, I’m pretty sure I wasn’t on her radar at all”

“Well that’s certainly not the case now” Karen replied with a raised eyebrow

“So this pop up... where is it?” Nicole asked-thankful that the tickling she was doing to the toddler masked the blush she felt on her cheeks...

***

“But why?” Waverly asked petulantly 

“Because, Waverly, just because you don’t know who I am, doesn’t mean the rest of the world doesn’t... trust me, your night would be ruined” Nicole replied. The two women had been working together now for a little over two months and Waverly was desperately trying to convince Nicole to join the company on an evening of dancing at a local salsa club

“But we can stop your ‘hoards of fans’ from getting too close” Waverly reasoned-emphasising the ‘hoards’ with a roll of her eyes 

“It’s not the fans I’m worried about-it’s everyone else... trust me, it would be a nightmare... I can only go to ridiculously expensive members clubs-and even then, it can get a bit much if it’s a weekend-that kind of exclusivity costs-and it wouldn’t be fair on the rest of the company”

“But...” Waverly started, but realised she couldn’t argue with the actors logic-she COULD only go to exclusive places and no one else could afford that on a theatre wage. The brunette huffed out her annoyance and threw herself down on the sofa in Nicole’s dressing room “this really sucks” 

“Tell me about it... I can’t go out for a milkshake without it being headline news” Nicole joked as she continued to put her eyeliner on

“Seriously?”

Nicole laughed and shook her head “no Waverly, not seriously...” the redhead replied, looking at her through the mirror “well... not unless it’s a slow news day”

Waverly smiled at the actor across the room, watching her put on her make up “I’ve never really thought about how intrusive it is to be an actor... like I get that people want to know stuff, but to not be able to just live your life...” the brunette trailed off

“It has its advantages too” Nicole said wryly

“Really? Like what” 

“Well... I haven’t had to pay a mortgage on any of my properties for 4 years...” Nicole answered as she finished applying some lipstick

“Meh” Waverly responded with a shrug

“People send me free things all the time...”

“That’s nuts” Waverly said with a chuckle

“Tell me about it-the more famous you are, the less you have to pay for things...” Nicole concurred before standing up and facing Waverly “there... how do I look?”

Waverly’s breath caught in her throat momentarily as she took the actor in. She was wearing a long black jumpsuit and patent heels with her hair twisted up-allowing for a few strands to fall and frame her face

“You look great” Waverly said “really terrific” 

Nicole raised a perfectly pencilled eyebrow at the brunette “terrific?”

“What?” Waverly shrugged “it’s a word”

“Not one used very often”

“Would you prefer me to tell you you look fine?” Waverly countered

Nicole hummed her agreement and looked like she was about to say more when there was a knock at her door and her manager Simon appeared. Nicole had been nominated for an ‘Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series’ award and it had been agreed when she had signed the theatre contract that there would be no evening show tonight after the matinee so she could attend the award ceremony with her manager

“Okay... you got everything” Waverly asked, jumping up to follow the pair out

“Yep...” Nicole replied as she looked around her dressing room “well I forgot the rest of my jewellery, but that can’t be helped...” 

“Here...” Waverly said as she walked towards the actor and removed a gold bracelet she always wore-placing it around the taller woman’s wrist “I knew I wore this for a reason”

Nicole smiled down at the brunette as she watched her carefully lock the piece into place

“For luck” Waverly announced softly as she looked up at the redhead. They held each other’s gaze for a moment before Simon cleared his throat and brought them both back to reality 

“We really should get going Nicole...”

“Right... okay... well wish me luck” Nicole said with a chuckle as she grabbed her clutch and headed for the door

“Have a good one” Waverly replied “and bring me back a goodie bag”

Nicole laughed and then linked her arm through Simon’s, smiling at him as he led her from her dressing room and down the backstage corridor. Waverly watched them go before heading down to the basement to grab her things. Most of the company had headed round to Rosita’s straight after the matinee for dinner and a games night, but Waverly had said she had course work to do first. She hadn’t though. In truth she had rushed through her assignments with the express view of being around Nicole whilst she got ready. Waverly knew she was likely to get hurt if she continued to fall for the redhead in the way she was, but as she packed up her bag and headed to stage door, she couldn’t bring herself to care 

***

Nicole threw the phone down in dismay as it rang out once again. A gentle tap to the door had her snapping out a ‘what’ uncharacteristically then sighing as the door opened and Waverly appeared 

“Sorry” Nicole said sheepishly

“I should think so” Waverly replied with an arched eyebrow and a smile. The women had been working closely together for three months now-although with the ease of their interactions, anyone would be forgiven for thinking it were longer “dare I ask?”

“She’s at the theatre and wants to see me” Nicole replied. The actor couldn’t blame her wife-they had privately started divorce proceedings a couple of months ago and were currently embroiled in arguing over ‘who gets what’.

“Well it’s after the half, so she can’t-theatre rules and all that....” Waverly answered with a shrug-bringing Nicole from her thoughts and eluding to the rule ‘no visitors backstage after the half hour call has happened’-effectively indicating the company had half an hour left to prepare

“Yeah, I’m not sure that’s going to work for her” Nicole laughed-which was brought to a halt when there was a knock on the door 

“For fucks sake” Nicole muttered before standing up

“I’ll get rid of her” Waverly said as she moved to the door

“It’s fine, I’ll do it”

“No Nicole. I’ll do it-sit down and continue with your make up-leave your wife to me” the brunette replied sternly. Nicole watched through the mirror as Waverly opened the door slightly and looked out

“Excuse me” Nicole heard Shae say irritatedly

“Sorry, Nicole’s preparing for the show right now so isn’t available-and you really shouldn’t be backstage after the half” Waverly answered-almost too politely

“I’m sorry, I don’t think you understand, so let me explain it... I’m her wife” Shae barked

“Then you should know better” Waverly bit back strongly “you, above anyone, should know what a shitty move you’re pulling being here after the half hour call. Nicole has to get ready, and this is when she needs calm before the storm she’s about to inflict upon herself. If you want to see her, you can. But after the show, not after the half” and with that, Waverly closed the door

Nicole continued to stare at the tiny woman standing behind her with her hands on her hips

“You’re my hero” the redhead said simply

Waverly laughed heartily and shook her head “I think maybe don’t tell your wife that... I’ll have a word with Dolls-Brian shouldn’t have let her through” 

“Brian is a stage door keeper, he doesn’t get paid enough to put up with her” Nicole retorted drily

“No one gets paid enough to be treated like that Nicole-including you” Waverly replied quickly. 

A silence settled between them as Nicole continued to hold Waverly’s gaze through the mirror. Ordinarily Nicole would have broken the eye contact by now, but she couldn’t seem to tear her eyes away from the woman standing behind her

“I’ll go and make sure she’s gone... I’ll be back in 10” Waverly eventually said with a smile before opening the door quickly and disappearing through it

Later, Nicole would tell Waverly that THAT was the moment she knew she was falling in love with the brunette. But that was for later. For now, Nicole simply shook all those thoughts from her head and continued her pre-show rituals, allowing thoughts of Waverly Earp to disappear from her mind for the time being 

***

Waverly had been dressing Nicole for four months and she would definitely go so far as to call the redhead a friend. They were in the wardrobe department in the basement of the theatre when Chrissy came hurting in with a torn shirt in her hand and a scowl on her face

“Fucking Geoff” the wardrobe mistress said as soon as she was through the door-stopping when she realised Nicole Haught was sitting on the tatty sofa with Waverly Earp next to her doing a crossword

“Nicole... sorry”

“Why are you sorry?” Nicole asked with a smile

“Well... you shouldn’t have heard that” the wardrobe mistress replied sheepishly

“I really don’t care about that sort of thing... unless you’re saying it about me of course...”

“Nah, we wait until we’re at home before we moan about you” Waverly teased as she used Nicole’s knee to get herself up from the sofa and over to the shirt Chrissy was holding

“I am offended” Nicole replied without a hint of a smile

“Oh pipe down and make yourself useful” Waverly retorted “flick the kettle on for us and read out the clues” 

Nicole huffed our some air, but got up none the less and started the water off to boil. The three women continued chatting and doing the puzzle until Jeremy called the cast to stage for warm up-which Nicole dutifully attended immediately

“You two seem like you’re getting on alright” Chrissy said to her friend as they continued with the crossword whilst sipping the tea Nicole had made them 

“Yeah, she’s great” Waverly replied with a smile. She knew she liked the actor-there was a spark between them that was difficult to ignore. And there were moments she was sure the redhead felt it too-but Nicole was married, so whatever it was, it had to just stay in the background

She got up and paired some socks that had finished drying, thinking that perhaps she should take the local barman up on his offer of a drink-it wouldn’t hurt to try and distract herself from the actor

“Hey” she suddenly said to Chrissy “Do you fancy going for a drink tonight? I thought we could maybe head back to that bar we tried last week”

“The one with the cute barman that wanted to give you his number?” Chrissy asked 

“Yeah... I’m thinking I might take him up on his offer...” Waverly replied with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes...

***

Nicole was loathed to admit that the last five months had vastly improved for her because of Waverly Earp. She looked forward to coming into work and seeing the dresser every day-and the fact they only had six weeks left of the run was not something she wanted to think about. She was brought from her thoughts by a tapping on the door-realising it was already the quarter and time for her to get put into her costume. She shouted a response and the brunette that had been occupying the large majority of her thoughts entered the room

“I meant to ask you earlier, how was the film yesterday?” Waverly asked as Nicole took her kimono off and stepped towards the dresser

“It was actually okay... I mean, Hayley was the best thing in it-but it wasn’t as bad as she had made it out to be” Nicole replied. She had spent Friday afternoon at a cast and crew screening of a new rom-com that her friend Hayley James was starring in. 

“What are you up to this weekend?” Nicole asked as Waverly fitted the magnets on the skirt carefully

“Oh... erm I think I’m seeing Champ” Waverly replied with a slight blush. 

Nicole swallowed the lump that had suddenly appeared in her throat 

“Champ? Whose Champ?” the actor said as non chalantly as possible

There was a pause before Waverly answered “He’s the guy I’m seeing... I’m sure I’ve told you about Champ”

“Champ?” Nicole said as she put her hands on her hips to hold the skirt in place

“Yes. Champ”

“Your boyfriends name is Champ?” Nicole said as Waverly finished pushing the magnets into place and spun the actor round

“Yes Nicole, my boyfriends name is Champ”

“So is he like a rodeo star or...” Nicole teased playfully

“Will you stop” Waverly said with a laugh as she pushed the actor in the arm

Nicole smiled down at her, noticing how close they both were “I didn’t realise you were seeing anyone”

Waverly swallowed and glanced down at Nicole’s lips absentmindedly “it’s new...”

“And how’s it going? Matt in LX will be heartbroken” The actor asked not stepping away

“Oh well... it’s fine” Waverly replied “and Matt from LX is all talk” She said as she moved away from the actor and towards the door

“Delighted to hear it” Nicole answered “you deserve nothing less than excellent” she added as an afterthought. Waverly stopped and turned back, looking like she was about to say something in reply, but instead smiled and opened the door

“Have a good one” the brunette said as she left the room. 

Nicole stood for a moment taking in all that had just happened. Waverly Earp had a boyfriend. Waverly Earp had a boyfriend and Nicole did not like that feeling one bit. She swallowed down her jealousy and turned to look at herself in the mirror

“Get it together Haught” she said to herself-knowing already the advice would fall on deaf ears

***

Waverly wandered down the wings and to Jeremy, who was sitting at the prompt desk waiting to call beginners to the stage. The pair had become close over the last 5 months and with only four weeks left of the run, Waverly was keen to socialise with everyone as much as possible

“You know what we should do?” Waverly asked rhetorically

“What?” 

“We should have a poker night” Waverly enthused

“That’s a hideous idea” Jeremy replied drily

“What?! Why?!” 

“Because I don’t know how to play... I will happily attend, but I’ll do snacks and beer top ups only...” 

“What if I teach you?” Waverly pushed

Jeremy looked at the brunette and sighed in resignation

“Okay fine, but YOU have to organise it” 

“I’ll organise it, if you make the announcement for me?” Waverly countered

“Fine...” Jeremy said after a moment. Often when the company had a night planned it would fall to Jeremy to remind people of the plans after the show that night

Waverly squealed with delight and hugged the show caller “you’re the best” she said as she pulled away and kissed him on the cheek

“Go away, I have to call beginners” Jeremy replied with a smile

Waverly walked across the back of the stage and over to the other side, waiting for Carrie-the wigs mistress-to appear beside her and for the show to start. She had never thought about how much fun working in a theatre could be, but the more she did it, the more she enjoyed it. The cast and crew of this show had all made her feel welcome-at points making her laugh-and at times laughing at her, and as the wings started to fill with company members, she silently thanked her lucky stars for getting to be a part of this extraordinary group of people

Nicole appeared beside her and inhaled deeply. Often they would talk at this point, but Waverly always left it for Nicole to take the lead-never knowing herself what the actor needed in that moment 

“Tell me something” Nicole suddenly said, turning to look Waverly in the eye

“Erm... I’m arranging a poker night”

“Oh God really? That’s a dreadful idea” Nicole replied drily

“What?! Why?!” Waverly retorted-a huge sense of deja vu hitting her

“That’s clearance guys” Dolls suddenly said beside them, indicating the show was about to begin “stand by please” 

Nicole and Waverly smiled at him as he repeated “stand by” up the wings to the company and disappeared round the other side of stage to let Jeremy know the cast were all standing by and ready to start

The lights went down and Nicole waited for her cue light from Jeremy to tell her to enter the stage 

“Because I could never lie to you Waverly Earp” Nicole said simply, looking Waverly directly in the eye before walking out onto to the stage and to the 1500 people waiting to watch her. Waverly stood as Nicole began the first scene, gurning and shaking, mumbling her lines and eventually losing control just as the script dictated. The lights snapped to the club scene, the bass music pumped out of the speakers and Waverly ran onto stage. She quickly removed the corset and skirt then handed Nicole the prop phone-like they had done 6 days a week for almost 6 months-just as Nicole accepted the phone Waverly ran her hands through the redheads hair and tousled it. 

Nicole’s eyes snapped to Waverly’s and the most incredible smile Waverly had ever seen graced the actors face. But as quickly it was there, it was gone, and with a wink, the actor was stumbling down the stage and towards the reception desk that had been set at the centre. Waverly grabbed the costume at her feet and danced offstage with them, making it to the wings just in time for the music and lights to snap off and the next scene to start

***

Nicole went to the poker night. But only because Waverly has set it up and she felt like she had to show her support. She had attempted to play, but as she had predicted, she was terrible at it and was out within half an hour. It had unsurprised no-one that Waverly Earp had taken the entire company to the cleaners and all Nicole had heard for the rest of the week was grumblings from Geoff about ‘that skinny thing’ taking all his money. Nicole had smiled as she had overheard Jennifer explain all the reasons why what he was saying was inappropriate

Karen was in her dressing room waiting for her when Nicole walked in with two cups of herbal tea

“So are we all set for tonight?” Nicole asked. They were all going out for a company meal and Karen had been instructed to make sure the owners allow Nicole to pick up the bill. She didn’t want it known she was doing it though, so had decided to let Jennifer announce that the producers were paying as a thank you for everyone’s hard work over the last 8 months. 

“Yep, they know to charge it direct to you and are happy to take that payment tomorrow-the deposit was enough to probably cover the whole meal to be honest, but they trust you” Karen replied

“And the papers have been sent?”

“Sent to her and accepted this morning...” Karen said with a sad smile “how are you feeling about it all?”

Nicole and Shae has finally agreed on a settlement and had filed for divorce that morning. She knew it was the right thing to do as her life became more consumed by thoughts of Waverly Earp-but it didn’t make it any less sad to know her marriage had failed so spectacularly. She smiled at the woman in front of her and signed 

“Like it’s the right decision... it’s time I got on with my life, you know?”

“Yeah I know... and I think you’re absolutely right Cole... time to move forward” 

Karen and she had talked little of Waverly Earp and the affect she was having on the redhead-but Karen knew her better than anyone and if Poker night had taught her anything, it was that she was easy to read

“Thank you for today Karen” Nicole said sincerely. The woman had been her assistant for as long as Nicole could afford one and she was not only excellent at her job, but an excellent human being. She had been with Nicole when Shae and her had reached an agreement, then accompanied her to her managers office to sign up for the next Fantastic Beasts film. The day had been a mixture of emotions for the redhead, and Nicole was looking forward to the meal tonight and a chance to relax with the company 

“So we’re all set for later?”

“Yes Cole, it’s all set... you seem nervous? What’s going on with you?” Karen asked with a raised eyebrow

“Nervous? I’m not nervous...” Nicole replied quickly. 

But in truth, she was. During Poker night last week, she had watched as Waverly had been surrounded by the crew all vying for her attention and the redhead had been driven increasingly irritated by the entire event. She was sure there was something between the two women-and she was also convinced Waverly felt it too-so tonight, Nicole planned to share a bottle of Champagne with the dresser and tell her of her divorce. She knew Waverly would never make a move herself, but with her divorce imminent and the show coming to an end, Nicole couldn’t hold back any longer. 

No, tonight was the night she would start her vain attempts of wooing Waverly Earp-and if she had read this right, tonight could be the start of something far greater than anything she had experienced before

She just hoped she’d got this right...


End file.
